KENDAL Auction Mart has seen a return to the days when thousands of sheep passed through the ring surrounded by buyers from all over the country.

Almost 5,000 gimmer lambs went under the hammer during the North Of England Mule Sheep Association annual sale on Saturday.

Harry Gillies, secretary of the association' s Kendal branch said: "The ring was packed, there was quite a buzz about the place, it was back to normal, nearly."

All the sheep were sold and the average price was £58, which Mr Gillies described as "pretty good".

The top price of £112 was paid to J.

& E.A.

Barker and Sons from Gunnerthwaite who won the J.E Goad Memorial Trophy for the champion pen.

Many of the buyers at ringside had made the trip from Devon to restock their farms after foot-and-mouth with female Mule lambs for breeding.

According to Mr Gillies most of the talk around the ring was of the controversial 20-day standstill still dogging farmers.

But, in spite of the continuing problems, he said the atmosphere at the sale was excellent: "It was a good day and nice to get back to something like normal times really."

Earlier, on Friday, almost 3,500 gimmer lambs were sold at Kendal Auction Mart's Ambleside Fair.

There, Mule lambs averaged £51 with a top price of £90 and Mashams sold to £50 with an average of £41.

Other breeds sold to £43.

The Clark brothers of Park Head won the best pen of ten Mule gimmer lambs and the title of overall champion.

The prize for best pen of ten Masham gimmer lambs went to J.

Bennett, of Longsleddale.

A further 1019 Mule gimmers were sold at Sedbergh Auction Mart on September 11, where the prize for champion pen went to Dave Watson, of Middleton Hall.